This weeks personal spotlight is on FF/EMT Jessie Cottrell. Jessie grew up in Rittman and became a member of the Rittman Fire Department in July of 2018. He has worked 20 years at Schaeffler in Wooster; 4 years as a tool and die apprentice, 16 years as a mechanist, and recently he was promoted as a tooling planner. Still living in his hometown, and married to his wife of a year this March, Jennifer Cottrell, Jessie has 3 children of his own: Hannah, 16, Hunter, 14, and Rachel 12. Despite the chaos of 3 teenagers and 3 new puppies at home, Jessie’s fire family is near and dear to him.

“My favorite part about being on the department is getting to serve the community, while working with family.” Amongst the many laughs and jokes he states he will never forget the laughs when a fellow firefighter tried to spray him with disinfectant but had the can turned backwards, spraying them right in the face.

Jessie currently holds his Firefighter 1 and EMT certifications, but has plans on furthering his education. Until then, he enjoys departmental trainings and the time he spends with friends/family. “We always have fun at training. That’s when you build relationships and trust.”

In his spare time, he enjoys hunting, fishing, boating, and hitting the trails on his new side by side.

Jessie and his team members pride themselves on the quality of care they provide for their patients. Join them at Rittman Fire and Rescue!https://www.rittmanfire.com/join/